(In the food court)

"A toast! To the new champion of the school," Grace raises her glass of champagne.

"Hear hear," Brock toasts while everyone raises their glasses and toast to Ash.

"Thank You. It was nothing," Ash says while blushing uncontrollably.

"Don't say it was nothing Ashy Boy. Paul and I have been trying to win against him for almost a year now. Till now we couldn't because of that Darkrai of his. Now suddenly you come and make him look like a third class trainer," Gary says before giving Ash a hard pat on the back.

"I must say I was impressed by the way you used that Razor Leaf with Torterra to defeat his mega evolved Absol. Didn't know you could generate that much force that would allow you to levitate a heavy Pokemon like Torterra," Paul says in a quiet tone.

"Yeah," Ash replies in a quiet tone as his mind wanders back to the letter, where this tactic was suggested.

"I have been practising with Torterra with ever since I lost in the Unova league," Ash says. His tone is impassive but on seeing Paul raise an eyebrow he puts up a fake smile.

"And the best part is that you also got that smart smug son of a bitch, thrown out of the school," Gary cheers.

This causes everyone to cheer again for a second time, including Grace.

"Indeed young man, that was quite the performance," A voice says out of nowhere.

Everyone looks, in the direction of the voice, to see Palermo standing there with a smile.

"Oh! Thanks, I guess. But I am sorry Miss, I don't know who you are," Ash says in an apologetic tone.

"Ash, this is Palermo. She is my mentor and guide," Serena replies while smiling.

"Oh! I see. So she is the reason behind you becoming Kalos Queen," Ash says before turning to Palermo, "It is a pleasure to meet you ma'am." he says while shaking Palermo's hand.

"Please forgive me for not recognizing you ma'am," Ash says as he gives her a smile.

"A gifted trainer and gentlemanly manner. My, my Serena. You must be the luckiest Kalos Queen in the history of Pokemon Performing," Palermo remarks while cracking a rare smile.

Serena and Ash instantly blush while May and Dawn, on the other hand, fume in silence while clenching their fists.

"Well, I must get going, I have other matters to attend to. I will see you tomorrow, Serena," Palermo says. 

She turns around and then walks out quietly.

"Well, we should go out and celebrate since Ash has become the champion of the institution," Brock proposes, much to everyone's agreement.

"An excellent idea, Brock!" Grace seconds Brock's proposal.

"We will celebrate, but not today," Ash says quietly, shocking everyone with his response.

Everyone stares at him in stark silence. Serena finally breaks her silence and says "Ash. But why? You don't want to celebrate your win with your friends and me? Besides this way, I'll get to know your friends."

"Of course I do Sere. But I will celebrate when I beat the Elite Four member tomorrow," Ash says while making a determined fist.

Everyone's eyes widen, on hearing that. They all look at each other while Ash seems to be dead set on the task in front of him.

"I promise you. Regardless of what happens tomorrow. Win or lose. We will celebrate tomorrow. But today I need to go back and prepare for my match tomorrow. Because unlike Calem, that Elite Four battle will not be a walk in the park. Besides I feel kinda tired as well," Ash says.

"You're seriously refusing food?" Brock asks, completely stunned at this response.

Ash merely nods back on hearing that which conveys to everyone that no celebration is happening today.

"If you are sure Ash... then that is alright. We will see you tomorrow," May replies with a wink.

 "Yes, we'll be rooting for you," Dawn remarks as she smiles brightly at Ash, which doesn't go unnoticed by Serena. 

"Thanks, May. Thanks, Dawn. You guys are the best. See you tomorrow everyone," Ash declares while standing up.

"I guess we should call it a day as well, Serena dear," Grace remarks while getting up to follow Ash.

"Yup. It was nice to meet all of you," Serena smiles as she gets up too.

After all three of them have left, only Brock, May, Paul, Gary, Dawn, Clemont and Bonnie are left in the dining hall. After ten minutes of unsure tense silence, Paul decides to speak up.

"Did you guys notice the change in Ash's behaviour?" Paul remarks in a curious tone.

"I did and it's beginning to bug me," Brock cuts in, "He is no longer the rash and unpredictable Ash we used to know. He is calmer and more focused. So focused that I was surprised, I swear I saw a streak of Paul, from his Sinnoh days, in him. Even during the battle, I saw. He did not get excited over his small individual victories and focused on the win till the very end without losing his composure."

"Yup. That is bugging me too," Gary says. Gary sees the girls staring at him and sighs.

"Don't get me wrong, guys. I am not saying that he has changed for worst or anything. But when I saw him on TV in the Unova league quarterfinals. He was the old Ash, the one we all knew, full of enthusiasm and optimism. Now within a matter of weeks, he has changed completely. More mature. More respectful. Most importantly since when did he start refusing food? What happened? He is like a completely new person, almost like a stranger," Gary continues.

"Not to mention. He even started blushing. Did you guys see how he instinctively took Serena into a hug when Diantha intervened, right when Calem's Haxorus tried to attack Ash? He never did any of those things with me," Dawn says with a sigh.

"I wish I were in Serena's place," May says as sorrow flits into her tone with every passing moment.

"Fat chance. You and Ash," Dawn snaps back.

"Look who is talking? Ash is mine so back off," May says aggressively.

"Here we go again," Paul, Gary and Brock sigh in unison while May and Dawn start fighting like a pair of Meowths.

Clemont doesn't say anything. He's just been quietly listening to everyone talk and Bonnie, along with Dedenne, is enjoying the fight.

(Back in the apartment)

"Alright, Ash. Here is where I leave the two of you. Best of luck in your preparation," Grace says as she kisses both Ash and Serena goodnight before turning around and walking away.

"Thanks, Grace!" Ash calls out as he turns around and unlocks the door of the apartment.

Serena and Ash enter the apartment and proceed to place their belongings while Pikachu scurries around the apartment with nothing better to do. Ash suddenly says "Oh! Serena! I need to ask your mom something. I will be right back."

Serena nods and watches Ash running after Grace. She then releases her Pokemon to let them walk around and stretch their limbs.

"Hungry?" Serena asks as all the Pokemon cheer in unison which causes Serena to smile.

Meanwhile, Ash has almost caught up with Grace when he shouts "Grace! Wait! I need to ask you something."

"Ash? What are you doing here?" Grace says as she spins around in surprise.

Ash runs up to her and questions "Who do you think is the strongest in the Elite Four and who do you think is the weakest?"

Grace looks at him with a puzzled expression and says "Ash. I am no expert in Pokemon battling. I don't think my opinion will be of much help. You should get someone else's opinion."

"I know, but I am still asking you. Who in your opinion is the strongest and who is the weakest?" Ash reiterates.

"Alright, if you insist. But give me a moment to think," Grace replies.

"Sure no problem. Take all the time you need," Ash says. Grace closes her eyes and stands in silence for a few moments. 

Finally, she opens her eyes and breaks the silence, "Well now that I come to think of it, in my opinion, I have always found Wikstrom with his Steel-types to be the weakest in the elite four... As for the strongest? That is a hard one. Drasna is a Dragon master. Malva's fire types pack a fiery punch as well. Seibold's Blastoise is tough too."

"If you had to pick one in the three?" Ash presses further.

"If I had to pick one as the toughest then I would most likely pick Seibold," Grace answers. 

"Why?" Ash asks.

"Two years ago, he challenged Diantha for her place as the champion. He came the closest anyone has come, in the history of the Elite Four, when it comes to beating her. Had it not been for a lucky Shadow Ball which found its mark, Diantha might've lost the battle," Grace expounds as she reminisces the battle in her mind.

"Thanks, Grace. You are the best," Ash says before suddenly hugging Grace.

Grace gets taken aback for a few moments. But then she reciprocates the hug and asks him "Ash is something bothering you?" in a soft yet concerned tone.

"If I said no, I would be lying," Ash answers.

"What is the matter, dear? Is it Serena? Did she do something?" Grace asks, her voice ringing with concern.

"No no. Actually, your daughter is the best thing that has happened to me since the Unova league," Ash promptly replies.

Grace smiles and tells him "You are also the best thing that happened to my daughter. Now, you go and enjoy yourself with her. OK? Whatever problems you are having we will discuss it after tomorrow's battle. Whatever happens, Serena and I will be there to support you. Go for broke."

(In the food court)

"Enough!" Paul says in a loud and annoyed tone.

This compels both girls to stop fighting. Then he turns to the guys and asks, "Should we investigate this sudden change in behaviour. If something is bothering him then we should help him out. We are his friends after all."

"I agree, but let us not make hasty decisions. We will be interfering in his private affairs in a way. We don't want him to feel hurt as well," Brock replies.

"I propose, we observe him for a week or two before taking any kind of decision. Besides, it is getting late. I think we should head back as well," Gary stands up. Everyone nods and leaves for their dormitories.

(Back in the apartment)

"Serena, may I borrow your Poke-pad for a couple of hours?" Ash says while coming into the bedroom.

"Sure. Here you go," Serena says while handing the Poke-pad over to him.

"Thanks," Ash replies while turning around to leave.

"Need anything else?" Serena says.

"A little peace and quiet will be nice. Also, It would be great if you could watch over Pikachu and the others for me. Also, can you order some spaghetti with meatballs for me when dinner time comes?" Ash requests.

"Of course. No problem," Serena smiles. 

Ash smiles and then proceeds to lock himself in his own bedroom.

(2 Hours Later)

"Ash! Your ordered dinner has been out here for one hour. It's getting cold," Serena says in a loud voice.

"Thanks," Ash says while coming out of the room. He quickly starts eating and wolfing down the food.

"Slow down Ash. The food isn't going anywhere," Serena says as she eats her Seafood Lasagna.

"So you mind telling me what have you been doing for the past 2 hours," Serena says while taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Research. If I need to win against Seibold tomorrow I need to know what Pokemon he has along with his tactics and combinations," Ash replies without acknowledging her.

"Sound like a tedious job. Need any help?" Serena offers.

"No all I need is to be left alone," Ash almost snaps at Serena. Serena gets shocked to see Ash behave in this way.

"I am sorry. I just got a little irritated without good reason," Ash apologizes immediately.

"Compared to Calem that was a breeze in front of a hurricane," Serena says sweetly while putting on a smile. Ash smiles for a second then again goes back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Serena gets suspicious and a little worried.

'Why is Ash behaving like this? Does he not care for me anymore? Well, that can't be true. But then he met May and Dawn again so his mind changed. No stupid! Ash chose you over them remember.' Serena groans in annoyance as all these weird insecurities come pouring into her head. 

She decides to call up the only person she can rely on for advice, her mom. Serena walks into her own bedroom. She locks the door and dials Grace's number.

"Hey mom it's me," Serena says as Grace picks up the phone.

"Hey, honey why are you calling me around dinner time? Is everything alright? " Grace inquirers.

"I guess it's nothing. But..." Serena's voice trails off.

"But?" Grace asks in a curious tone.

"But something is up with Ash. He... isn't himself. Not to mention, he kind of snapped at me for no reason at all," Serena says in a mildly sad tone.

"Alright, what happened?" Grace questions.

After a few minutes, Grace says "I see what you mean. While I don't know what is happening with Ash right now but I do know that he is going through some personal issue. Some kind of problem."

"What do you mean? Did Ash tell you something?" Serena asks in a concerned tone.

"I will tell you," Grace says after sighing.

Serena hears Grace in pin-drop silence as Grace narrates what happened with Ash after he had caught up with her.

"You should talk to him Serena," Grace advises. 

Serena doesn't reply for a moment. Almost as if weighing her options.

"I will. Bye mom," Serena smiles after making up her mind on what to do.

"Bye dear. Take care of Ash," Grace says while disconnecting the call.

(10 minutes later)

Serena knocks at Ash's door. He doesn't answer. She keeps knocking, till he opens the door.

"What happened?" Ash replies in an annoyed and bored manner.

"We need to have a talk," Serena says quite sternly as she pushes Ash aside to enter his room.

"What happened? Something wrong?" Ash says in a milder tone upon seeing Serena's quite stern expression.

"Yes. Something is wrong. You need to tell me what is bothering you. Right. Now!" Serena says while sitting on the bed.

"I am fine. Nothing is wrong with me," Ash lies.

"I see. So it seems you trust your girlfriend's mother more than her when it comes to private matters. Furthermore, you don't even feel uncomfortable as you lying to her face," Serena says in a raised yet not angry voice.

"It's not that. This is something I need to deal with on my own," Ash replies, this time with an indignant tone as well.

"That is not an acceptable answer. Tell me what is going on right now or I will get very upset," Serena warns Ash. 

Ash looks at Serena's face. He sees tears starting to form in her eyes.

'Oh crap. I can't see Serena cry... I guess there is no getting around it. I will have to tell her.' Ash thinks to himself while sighing.

"Fine! You win," Ash throws in the towel as Serena's face relaxes.

'Thank Xerneas he relented. Don't know how long I could have kept this act up," Serena internally breathes a sigh of relief.

"But can I please have that one of those lovely macaroons you make before telling you," Ash asks.

"Alright, then let us go out in the living room. We will sit on the dining table and talk," Serena says.

(5 minutes later)

Ash has eaten a few of Serena's macaroons and is sitting in silence. Serena is looking at him in an expecting manner. She sees that he's trying to calm himself for what he's going to reveal.

"Serena, do you remember my dad?" Ash softly says as he turns to look at her.

"No, I don't. Why what happened?" Serena says.

"Well, I do. Actually, I only remember seeing his face once. Once when he came to the house and my mom turned him away," Ash says.

"OK. But what has your father got to do with all this?" Serena says.

"You know I flunked in the Unova league, right?" Ash asks.

"Yes, it wasn't as good performance as your previous leagues. But Palermo told me that every trainer has bad performances. What about it?" Serena says as she puts her hands on Ash's hands and gently squeezes them to calm him down.

"After I got eliminated in the quarterfinals in the Unova league before I went back to Pallet Town I was still exploring Unova with Iris and Cilan, in particular, the Decalore Islands. Suddenly, one morning a Staravia came out of nowhere and dropped a letter into my lap. Iris and Cilan were still asleep," Ash says before pausing.

He turns to Serena who tightly squeezes Ash's hand and gives him a nod of encouragement. Ash cracks a smile and then continues, "First, I was confused as to where this Staravia had come from. Then I opened the letter inside it. the letter was from my dad," as his body starts to shudder.

Serena seeing Ash's condition moves closer to him and puts both of her hands to comfort him.

"Go on," Serena says in a soft and soothing voice.

"In the letter, my dad, the one who left me and my mom, expressed how sorry he was for not being a part of my life. He said that he had followed every one of my league battles and said that to see me on the stage filled him with pride. But he said that he also disappointed as I failed to show seriousness in the league matches. He told me that I was too soft on my Pokemon. He told me to take a lesson from my rival Paul. He told me that I needed to temper my encouragement with aggressive training. And that was the only way my Pokemon would push themselves beyond their limits." Ash says as he clenches his fist.

Serena observes how Ash's breathing rate has shot up, how his nostrils have suddenly flared up.

"He one by one listed where I had gone wrong in which league, the mistakes I had made and how should I change my battling style. What other moves my Pokemon could have incorporated etc. You remember the tactic of Razor Leaf tornado I used against Calem?" Ash asks before turning to Serena.

"I did. Ramos, the Coumarine city gym leader, told that it was an extremely technically difficult tactic to pull off," Serena replies.

"Yes, that was one of the many suggestions that my dad left me in the letter. And ever since I have gotten that letter, I have followed his advice to the letter. And the worst part is that he's right. My performance as a trainer has increased by leaps and bounds. He was right. I have been too soft on my Pokemon. Now, I understand why Paul beat me all those times when we met face to face while I was travelling through the Sinnoh region. Believing in your Pokemon means nothing if you don't push them beyond their limits. You must have the faith that the Pokemon will not let you down when you push beyond the limit," Ash says in a bitter tone.

Serena doesn't say anything. She doesn't know what to say.

"But, that is good Ash. Why are you upset about it. I mean you got good advice from your father. I don't see how that translates into you being loopy and bitter," Serena asks.

"I haven't finished yet," Ash says as he takes deep and lasting breaths as if he was reinforcing himself. 

"In the second half of the letter, he expressed how sorry he is, because now even if he wanted to, he can't be a part of my life. He also made me promise to take care of my Pokemon and my loved ones," Ash said quietly.

"Why did he say that?" Serena asks in an afraid tone, she has an inkling where this is going but doesn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Because he wrote in the letter that by the time this letter got to me he would most likely be dead," Ash cries out as he bursts into tears, buries his crying face in Serena's chest and pulls her in a bone-crushing hug.

Serena gets shocked at this revelation. Tears formed in her eyes as her hands are floating in the air, unsure of whether to hug back or not. Some tears escape down her face as she gently proceeds to rest her chin on top of Ash's head. Her arms gently snake themselves around him and she closes her emotional eyes while slowly rubbing Ash's back to calm him down.

"Oh, Ash! I am so sorry. I can totally understand what you feel like. I felt the same way when my father died," Serena says while attempting to comfort him.

(20 minutes later)

"Thanks, Sere. I thought I could deal with this on my own but now I know I needed to get it off my chest," Ash says in a much more calm yet sad tone.

"Anything. I can do to make you feel better?" Serena asks.

"No. Nothing I guess," Ash says in a dismissive tone.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Serena says before she slowly moves her face towards Ash's while smirking.

Ash gets taken aback and says "What are you do..." but can't complete his sentence as she leans in and her lips softly press against Ash's. Serena can feel Ash's tension drain as he melts into the kiss and then softly puts his hands around her. They both deepen the kiss and unknown to them Pikachu, Sylveon, Delphox and some of the other Pokemon are watching the whole spectacle in silence.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do to make you feel better," Serena smiles mischievously after separating for air.

"Now that you mention it, I guess I could do with a little reassuring," Ash says as he moves towards Serena who's grinning from end to end.

They're about to kiss when they suddenly hear faint giggling noises. They turn around in surprise, to see some of their Pokemon grinning at them mischievously.

"How long have you been standing there?" Serena pouts while most of their Pokemon smirk and try to hold back their laughter.

"Ash, I think we should hold your reassuring therapy session somewhere more private," Serena says as she runs her hands on Ash's chest.

"Yup, let us move to the bedroom," Ash answers.

"As you wish. But I am not stopping kissing you. So you'll have to carry me there," Serena says which prompts Ash to scoop his better half in his arms. Serena keeps kissing Ash as he carries her to the bedroom. Pikachu and some of the mischevious Pokemon try to follow discreetly but Ash, using his foot, slams the bedroom door shut in their faces.

(Meanwhile in Lumiose City Police Station)

"Calem Xavier. You have been released on bail," Officer Jenny says while opening the door of his cell.

Calem calmly walks out of his cell and finishes all the formalities of the bail. Then he walks out of the police building and climbs into the limousine which is waiting for him.

"How are you son? Are you alright?" a voice replies.

"Thanks, dad. I am fine. Would feel better if I could get my hands on that Ketchup and that pathetic Kalos Queen who betrayed me," Calem replies as he grinds his teeth in frustration.

"Do not worry. Revenge shall be ours. We just need to wait for the right moment to strike," The man replies as the car begins to move.

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|__________DRAGON BLAST_________|

Diantha thinks for a moment. Then she looks at Ash and Serena's eyes to see a fire burning in their eyes. It's almost as if the desire to go together is reaching all the way to her.

She sighs before conceding, "Very well, I agree. The three of you will leave, day after tomorrow. However Serena, I still expect you to keep travelling to the showcases and put up exhibition performances. You must not forget, you are the Kalos Queen. You have some responsibility towards the Pokemon Showcases as well. I don't want Palermo complaining about it to me."

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